Shaking table tests of a reinforced concrete bridge pier with a low-cost sliding pendulum system

After the occurrence of various destructive earthquakes in Japan, extensive efforts have been made to improve the seismic performance of bridges. Although improvements to the ductile capacities of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge piers have been developed over the past few decades, seismic resilience has not been adequately ensured. Simple ductile structures are not robust and exhibit a certain level of damage under extremely strong earthquakes, leading to large residual displacements and higher repair costs, which incur in societies with less-effective disaster response and recovery measures. To ensure the seismic resilience of bridges, it is necessary to continue developing the seismic design methodology of RC bridges by exploring new concepts while avoiding the use of expensive materials. Therefore, to maximize the postevent operability, a novel RC bridge pier with a low-cost sliding pendulum system is proposed. The seismic force is reduced as the upper component moves along a concave sliding surface atop the lower component of the RC bridge pier. No replaceable seismic devices are included to lengthen the natural period; only conventional concrete and steel are used to achieve low-cost design solutions. The seismic performance was evaluated through unidirectional shaking table tests. The experimental results demonstrated a reduction in the shear force transmitted to the substructure, and the residual displacement decreased by establishing an adequate radius of the sliding surface. Finally, a nonlinear dynamic analysis was performed to estimate the seismic response of the proposed RC bridge pier.     

钢筋混凝土圆截面桥墩抗震加固方式对比分析

为研究不同加固方式对钢筋混凝土(RC)圆截面桥墩抗震性能的影响,利用OpenSees有限元软件建立了普通RC桥墩以及分别采用钢套管、碳纤维增强聚合物(CFRP)、体外预应力筋进行加固的桥墩数值分析模型,对模型输入远断层地震动,进行增量动力分析。以墩顶峰值位移角与震后残余位移角为指标,对比分析了桥墩加固前后的地震响应。结果表明:采用钢套管、体外预应力筋和CFRP加固后,RC桥墩的峰值位移与震后残余位移均减小,钢套管加固方式对桥墩峰值位移的降低幅度最大,体外预应力筋加固方式对抑制桥墩震后残余位移的效果最好;随着剪跨比的增大,3种加固方式对桥墩在地震动作用下位移响应的抑制作用均逐步减小;随着轴压比的增大,3种加固方式对RC桥墩峰值位移的抑制作用逐步降低。     

板式橡胶支座对斜交连续梁桥地震反应的影响

为充分了解板式橡胶支座对斜交连续梁桥地震反应的影响,利用OpenSees软件建立简化的斜交桥计算模型进行时程分析,研究板式橡胶支座摩擦滑移效应,以及支座动摩擦系数、剪切刚度、局部脱空等参数对斜交桥地震反应的影响。结果表明:板式橡胶支座考虑摩擦滑移后,不仅桥面位移和转角显著增大,而且出现残余位移和残余转角;随着支座剪切刚度的增大,桥面位移和转角均明显减小;随着桥墩处支座动摩擦系数的增大,桥面位移、转角均呈增长趋势,然而桥台处支座动摩擦系数的影响与之相反;桥墩处局部支座脱空对斜交桥的影响明显大于桥台支座。     

Experimental study of the seismic behavior of partially concrete‐filled steel bridge piers under bidirectional dynamic loading

The seismic behavior of steel bridge piers partially filled with concrete under actual earthquake conditions was investigated by using 20 square section specimens subjected to static cyclic loading tests and single‐directional and bidirectional hybrid loading tests. Acceleration records of two horizontal NS and EW directional components for hard (GT1), medium (GT2), and soft grounds (GT3), obtained during the 1995 Kobe earthquake, were adopted in dynamic tests. Experimental results clearly showed that maximum and residual displacements under actual earthquake conditions cannot be accurately estimated by conventional single‐directional loading tests, especially for GT2 and GT3. A modified admissible displacement was proposed on the basis of bidirectional loading test results. The concrete fill can effectively improve the seismic resistance performance if the concrete inside the steel bridge piers is sufficiently high in quantity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of hollow rectangular bridge column performance under vertical and cyclically bilateral loads

To investigate the seismic performance of hollow reinforced concrete(RC) bridge columns of rectangular cross section under constant axial load and cyclically biaxial bending,five specimens were tested.A parametric study is carried out for different axial load ratios,longitudinal reinforcement ratios and lateral reinforcement ratios.The experimental results showed that all tested specimens failed in the flexural failure mode and their ultimate performance was dominated by flexural capacity,which is represented by the rupture/buckling of tensile longitudinal rebars at the bottom of the bridge columns.Biaxial force and displacement hysteresis loops showed significant stiffness and strength degradations,and the pinching effect and coupling interaction effect of both directions severely decrease the structural seismic resistance.However,the measured ductility coefficient varying from 3.5 to 5.7 and the equivalent viscous damping ratio varying from 0.19 and 0.26 can meet the requirements of the seismic design.The hollow RC rectangular bridge columns with configurations of lateral reinforcement in this study have excellent performance under bidirectional earthquake excitations,and may be considered as a substitute for current hollow RC rectangular section configurations described in the Guideline for Seismic Design of Highway Bridges(JTG/T B02-01-2008).The length of the plastic hinge region was found to approach one sixth of the hollow RC rectangular bridge column height for all specimen columns,and it was much less than those specified in the current JTG/T.Thus,the length of the plastic hinge region is more concentrated for RC rectangular hollow bridge columns.     

Self-centering seismic retrofit scheme for reinforced concrete frame structures: SDOF system study

This paper presents the results of a parametric study of self-centering seismic retrofit schemes for reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings. The self-centering retrofit system features flag-shaped hysteresis and minimal residual deformation. For comparison purpose,an alternate seismic retrofit scheme that uses a bilinear-hysteresis retrofit system such as buckling-restrained braces (BRB) is also considered in this paper. The parametric study was carried out in a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system framework since a multi-story building structure may be idealized as an equivalent SDOF system and investigation of the performance of this equivalent SDOF system can provide insight into the seismic response of the multi-story building. A peak-oriented hysteresis model which can consider the strength and stiffness degradation is used to describe the hysteretic behavior of RC structures. The parametric study involves two key parameters -the strength ratio and elastic stiffness ratio between the seismic retrofit system and the original RC frame. An ensemble of 172 earthquake ground motion records scaled to the design basis earthquake in California with a probability of exceedance of 10% in 50 years was constructed for the simulation-based parametric study. The effectiveness of the two seismic retrofit schemes considered in this study is evaluated in terms of peak displacement ratio,peak acceleration ratio,energy dissipation demand ratio and residual displacement ratio between the SDOF systems with and without retrofit. It is found from this parametric study that RC structures retrofitted with the self-centering retrofit scheme (SCRS) can achieve a seismic performance level comparable to the bilinear-hysteresis retrofit scheme (BHRS) in terms of peak displacement and energy dissipation demand ratio while having negligible residual displacement after earthquake.     

近断层地震动下设置BRB的双向减隔震桥梁地震反应

在近断层地震动下桥梁结构将发生较大反应,减隔震设计是减轻地震损伤的重要手段。提出了在桥梁双柱墩横桥向设置防屈曲支撑(BRB),在纵桥向设置铅芯橡胶支座(LRB)的双向减隔震体系。利用Midas Civil软件建立3种不同减隔震方式的桥梁结构模型:LRB仅单向,LRB双向与LRB联合BRB,运用非线性时程分析方法计算了桥墩反应(墩顶侧移角、残余位移角和曲率延性)、LRB支座变形和BRB的耗能特性等。结果表明:在近断层地震动输入下联合设置LRB和BRB的双向减隔震桥梁减震效果明显,相比其它2种方式,能有效降低墩柱的塑性变形及起到保护桥墩的作用。在横桥向,桥墩最大侧移角、残余位移角和最大曲率延性系数都显著降低。     

Numerical failure analysis of a continuous reinforced concrete bridge under strong earthquakes using multi-scale models

Previous failure analyses of bridges typically focus on substructure failure or superstructure failure separately. However, in an actual bridge, the seismic induced substructure failure and superstructure failure may influence each other. Moreover, previous studies typically use simplified models to analyze the bridge failure; however, there are inherent defects in the calculation accuracy compared with using a detailed three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model. Conversely, a detailed 3D FE model requires more computational costs, and a proper erosion criterion of the 3D elements is necessary. In this paper, a multi-scale FE model, including a corresponding erosion criterion, is proposed and validated that can significantly reduce computational costs with high precision by modelling a pseudo-dynamic test of an reinforced concrete (RC) pier. Numerical simulations of the seismic failures of a continuous RC bridge based on the multi-scale FE modeling method using LS-DYNA are performed. The nonlinear properties of the bridge, various connection strengths and bidirectional excitations are considered. The numerical results demonstrate that the failure of the connections will induce large pounding responses of the girders. The nonlinear deformation of the piers will aggravate the pounding damages. Furthermore, bidirectional earthquakes will induce eccentric poundings to the girders and different failure modes to the adjacent piers.     

Study on the seismic performance of a double spherical seismic isolation bearing

In this paper, the configuration and working mechanism of the recently developed double spherical seismic isolation （DSSI） bearing are introduced in detail. Then, vertical displacement of the DSSI bearing due to sliding on a spherical surface is analyzed. The results from seismic performance testing of the bearing are given, and a numerical analysis of a four span continuous girder bridge is performed. The numerical analysis compares the influence of three different bearing arrangement schemes on the structural seismic response, and the results show that the DSSI bearing is effective in increasing the vertical load bearing capacity, reducing the vertical displacement, and controlling the energy dissipation capacity within a certain range.     

Bidirectional loading hybrid tests of square cross‐sections of steel bridge piers

Steel rectangular section columns with stiffened plates are commonly used for elevated highway bridges in the urban areas of Japan. The seismic design of bridge piers is usually performed by dynamic analysis in the horizontal direction using various independent directional seismic acceleration data. However, this simple treatment does not reflect the effect of bilateral loading as a structural response to inelastic interaction. In this study, unidirectional and bidirectional loading hybrid tests were conducted to examine the seismic response and performance of square cross‐sections of steel bridge piers subjected to bidirectional seismic accelerations. Comparison of the results of unidirectional and bidirectional loading tests revealed that the maximum load is the same as the average of unidirectional loading in the NS and EW directions; however, the maximum response displacement and residual displacement increase in proportion with hard to soft ground types. Moreover, a modified seismic design is proposed considering these bidirectional loading effects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地震作用下钢筋混凝土柱变形与损伤研究

为量化地震作用下钢筋混凝土（RC）柱损伤情况和变形,并将不同地震破坏状态下RC柱损伤和变形进行分析。从太平洋地震工程研究中心（PEER）数据库中收集91组RC柱抗震试验数据,选取4种广泛应用的构件损伤模型进行计算,将损伤发展曲线与层间位移角发展曲线进行对比分析。对RC柱损伤指标限值进行归一化处理,统计分析后得到不同破坏等级下的位移角限值,并给出了RC柱各破坏等级下的位移角限值与损伤指标限值对应关系。研究结果表明,牛荻涛损伤模型可更准确地评价地震作用下结构构件损伤程度,且与层间位移角发展曲线均呈近似线性增长趋势;不同破坏等级下的位移角限值验算保证率均＞80%,表明本文提出的位移角限值具有一定合理性。     

Analytical investigations of seismic responses for reinforced concrete bridge columns subjected to strong near-fault ground motion

Strong near-fault ground motion, usually caused by the fault-rupture and characterized by a pulse-like velocity- wave form, often causes dramatic instantaneous seismic energy (Jadhav and Jangid 2006). Some reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns, even those built according to ductile design principles, were damaged in the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. Thus, it is very important to evaluate the seismic response of a RC bridge column to improve its seismic design and prevent future damage. Nonlinear time history analysis using step-by-step integration is capable of tracing the dynamic response of a structure during the entire vibration period and is able to accommodate the pulsing wave form. However, the accuracy of the numerical results is very sensitive to the modeling of the nonlinear load-deformation relationship of the structural member. FEMA 273 and ATC-40 provide the modeling parameters for structural nonlinear analyses of RC beams and RC columns. They use three parameters to define the plastic rotation angles and a residual strength ratio to describe the nonlinear load- deformation relationship of an RC member. Structural nonlinear analyses are performed based on these parameters. This method provides a convenient way to obtain the nonlinear seismic responses of RC structures. However, the accuracy of the numerical solutions might be further improved. For this purpose, results from a previous study on modeling of the static pushover analyses for RC bridge columns (Sung et al. 2005) is adopted for the nonlinear time history analysis presented herein to evaluate the structural responses excited by a near-fault ground motion. To ensure the reliability of this approach, the numerical results were compared to experimental results. The results confirm that the proposed approach is valid.     

双向地震作用下液化水平和倾斜场地-桩基-桥梁结构地震反应的差异研究

根据已经完成的液化侧向扩展场地-群桩基础-上部结构体系大型振动台试验,在有限元软件OpenSees中建立了可液化倾斜场地振动台试验的有限元模型。通过与试验结果对比,验证了数值模型的可靠性。基于此,建立了典型水平和倾斜液化场地-桩基-桥梁结构体系的数值模型,讨论了双向地震作用下水平和倾斜场地体系地震响应的差异,结果表明:相比水平场地,倾斜场地超孔隙水压力在峰值阶段波动幅度更大,土体的侧向位移增加明显,尤其是在饱和砂土中部位置;倾斜场地中桩基础的破坏程度更大,可液化层中部桩基曲率最大可增大约13倍,桩身水平位移显著增加;而水平场地桥墩曲率比倾斜场地桥墩曲率大,建议在液化场地桩基设计中应考虑场地倾斜带来的影响。      

近断层地震动下摇摆-自复位桥墩连续梁地震反应

为讨论近断层地震动下摇摆-自复位(Rocking Self-Centering, RSC)桥墩连续梁的地震反应及其抗震优缺点。基于OpenSees有限元分析平台讨论了RSC桥墩三维建模方法，通过对6个试验构件的模拟，比较模拟与试验桥墩滞回曲线、预应力筋最大应力等指标，验证了模型准确性。建立设置RSC桥墩和普通钢筋混凝土(Reinforced Concrete, RC)桥墩的上部结构相同的两座连续梁桥，输入3组含有强速度脉冲的近断层地震波进行非线性动力时程分析，对比其抗震性能。结果表明：在0.4 g近断层地震动下，RSC桥墩与普通RC桥墩相比，RSC桥墩的最大位移角为普通RC桥墩的78.1%～97.6%,墩底曲率延性系数仅为普通RC桥墩的24.0%～34.0%,减小了桥墩的最大变形，也减轻了桥墩地震损伤，不利的一点是使用RSC桥墩会导致支座位移增大。RSC桥墩震后的残余位移较小，且预应力筋处于弹性受力阶段，为实现震后桥梁功能的快速恢复提供了条件。     

Life‐cycle reliability of RC bridge piers under seismic and airborne chloride hazards

Over the last two decades, the probabilistic assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) structures under seismic hazard has been developed rapidly. However, little attention has been devoted to the assessment of the seismic reliability of corroded structures. For the life‐cycle assessment of RC structures in a marine environment and earthquake‐prone regions, the effect of corrosion due to airborne chlorides on the seismic capacity needs to be taken into consideration. Also, the effect of the type of corrosive environment on the seismic capacity of RC structures has to be quantified. In this paper, the evaluation of the displacement ductility capacity based on the buckling model of longitudinal rebars in corroded RC bridge piers is established, and a novel computational procedure to integrate the probabilistic hazard associated with airborne chlorides into life‐cycle seismic reliability assessment of these piers is proposed. The seismic demand depends on the results of seismic hazard assessment, whereas the deterioration of seismic capacity depends on the hazard associated with airborne chlorides. In an illustrative example, an RC bridge pier was modeled as single degree of freedom (SDOF). The longitudinal rebars buckling of this pier was considered as the sole limit state when estimating its failure probability. The findings show that the life‐cycle reliability of RC bridge piers depends on both the seismic and airborne chloride hazards, and that the cumulative‐time failure probabilities of RC bridge piers located in seismic zones can be dramatically affected by the effect of airborne chlorides. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of concrete bridges subjected to ground motion with an arbitrary angle of incidence: static and dynamic approach

A nonlinear static analysis methodology for the derivation of a set of pushover curves for any angle of incidence of the seismic action (multidirectional pushover curves) for bridges is developed, wherein the interaction between axial force and biaxial moments at critical pier sections or biaxial shear forces at the bearings is taken into account. Dynamic pushover curves (base shear vs. peak deck displacement) for arbitrary angle of incidence of the excitation, are derived for both unidirectional (single-component) and bidirectional (dual-component) ground motion. It is found that neglecting the minor horizontal component leads to underestimation of bridge response, especially along the bridge principal directions and that the angle of incidence of bidirectional excitation affects bridge response, but to a lesser extent than in the case of unidirectional excitation. The proposed procedure is then applied to a straight symmetric bridge, its results are checked against those from response-history analysis, and is found to be sufficiently accurate for practical application. Using the derived results it is also found that the design of the selected bridge is safe since for the design bidirectional earthquake the bridge starts to behave inelastically (the first plastic hinge forms), while its failure occurs for about four times the design seismic action.     

Research on the influencing factors for residual displacements of RC bridge columns subjected to earthquake loading

Following the 1995 Kobe earthquake, many RC bridge columns were demolished due to a residual drift ratio of more than 1.75 % even though they did not collapse. The residual drift ratio is a quantitative index for the performance objective of reparability in the bridge seismic design. Numerical models of the columns are built to study the factors that influence the residual displacement of RC bridge columns. In these models, both column bending and bar pulling out deformation are considered using the fiber column-beam element and zero-length section element, respectively. Then, nonlinear time history analyses are performed. The factors that influence column residual displacement, such as the characteristics of ground motion, the structural responses (the maximum lateral drift ratio and the displacement ductility factor), and the structural characteristics (the aspect ratio and the longitudinal reinforcement ratio) are investigated. It is found that the near-fault ground motion induces a larger residual drift ratio than the far-fault ground motion. The residual drift ratio becomes larger due to the increase of the maximum lateral drift ratio, the displacement ductility factor, and the aspect ratio. Further, a larger longitudinal reinforcement ratio can induce a larger residual drift ratio due to the contribution of the bar pulling out deformation.     

隔震与非隔震支座对混凝土箱梁桥地震易损性的影响

为评估隔震和非隔震支座对桥梁地震易损性的影响,以一座3跨连续混凝土箱梁桥为分析对象,首先建立采用铅芯橡胶隔震支座与非隔震型盆式橡胶支座下桥梁的数值模型,求得不同程度地震作用下墩顶与支座的最大位移响应;再定义转角延性比损伤指标,结合支座剪应变,分析桥墩和支座的地震易损性情况;最后通过宽界限法建立全桥地震易损性曲线。研究结果表明,支座是较容易发生损坏的构件,而桥梁系统比桥墩或支座更易发生破坏,同时铅芯橡胶支座的破坏概率明显低于非隔震型盆式支座,可见采用隔震支座能有效减小桥墩墩顶在地震作用下的最大位移,此时桥墩地震易损性优于采用非隔震支座的情况。     

Residual drift spectra for RC bridge columns subjected to near-fault earthquakes

Permanent displacement of a bridge column can be directly measured during the inspection after near-fault earthquakes.However,the engineer needs to estimate the expected residual drift at the design stage to determine if the bridge seismic performance is satisfactory.The most direct method to estimate the residual displacement is nonlinear response history analysis,which is time consuming and cumbersome.Alternatively,an attractive but indirect method is generating estimated residual displacement spectra that depend on displacement ductility demand,column period,site conditions,and earthquake characteristics.Given the period and the expected displacement ductility demand for the column,the residual drift response spectra curves can be utilized to estimate the residual drift demand.Residual drift spectra that are applicable to RC bridge columns in different parts of the United States were developed based on nonlinear response history analyses using a comprehensive collection of recorded and synthetic near-fault ground motions and were linked to one-second spectral acceleration(S1)of the AASHTO maps.It was also found that the residual drift ratio is below one percent when S1 is less than 0.6 g.     

采用板式橡胶支座的连续斜梁桥横向抗震行为研究

为了提高采用板式橡胶支座的斜梁桥横向抗震能力,揭示其在不同设计参数下的横向抗震行为,考虑板式橡胶支座的滑移、钢筋混凝土挡块的滞回力学性能、桥台-背土效应等非线性因素,采用OpenSEES建立某连续斜梁桥的三维分析模型,提出支座位移评价指标、主梁平面转角指标、墩柱曲率延性指标和抗剪指标,研究不同挡块强度和间隙组合下桥梁的横向抗震性能。研究表明:同时增大挡块强度和间隙,总体上会降低支座的横向变形,但会增加其纵向变形;挡块强度越高,主梁的横向位移有所下降,但平面转角越大,对两侧桥台处的支座抗剪越不利;挡块强度越高,间隙越小,墩柱越有可能进入弹塑性状态。在本文桥例中,当挡块强度取40%支反力,间隙取0.08m时,所有抗震指标都可满足规范要求。